May 02, 2008

Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) today praised the sponsors of the Domestic Energy Production Act of 2008, which was introduced yesterday in the U.S. Senate, for proposing domestic supply as an important component to a comprehensive energy policy. Full release

World Vision welcomes the Bush Administration's proposal to boost hunger assistance funding by $770 million in the next fiscal year, as a sign of leadership and commitment amid a global crisis driven by spiraling food prices. Full release

Iraqi Minister of Industry, Fawzi Hariri and U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Business Transformation and Director of the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, Paul Brinkley will announce and discuss a number of new contracts for private industry for business development in Iraq. Full release

The following was issued today by the Office of the Speaker of the House: Congressman Andre Carson (IN-7) will deliver the Democratic Radio Address tomorrow. In his address, Congressman Carson will discuss the Iraq war and the strain it is having on the U.S. economy. He will also address how the New Direction Congress will continue to work for change. Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement this morning after the Department of Labor released its employment report for April showing a loss of 20,000 jobs, the fourth consecutive month of job losses: "Today's jobless numbers, combined with slowing consumer spending and nearly flat wage increases, are additional evidence of the need for Congress and the President to work in a bipartisan way on additional steps to get our economy back on track." Full release

As nine more detainees were freed from the U.S.-controlled detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Amnesty International today reiterated that these detentions are a travesty of justice. The Bush administration must either bring to fair trial or release, with full protections against further abuse, the 270 detainees still held there. Full release

The following is being issued by the Democratic National Committee: On the fifth anniversary of President Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech yesterday, John McCain told reporters in Cleveland that he "opposed it at the time," referring to the banner behind the President during the speech. He also criticized President Bush for "comments by members of his administration that exaggerated the prospects for success in Iraq in contradiction to the facts on the ground." [AP, 5/1/08] Full release

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao issued the following statement on the April employment situation report released today: "In today's better than expected jobs report, both payroll employment and the unemployment rate were essentially unchanged from last month. While we continued to see declines in construction and manufacturing, the service-providing sector of the economy showed an encouraging increase of 90,000 jobs." Full release

Agreeing with House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) that short-circuiting the open committee process for political gain and smoke-filled rooms is no way to pass vital funding measures for our troops, Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.) conceded today that Republicans had proper grounds to be disappointed in the way Democrats have handled the supplemental bill. Full release

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